COMO, MISSISSIPPI—Jimbo Mathus, producer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has re-opened his popular Delta Recording Service in Como, Mississippi.

The studio, previously located in Clarksdale, Mississippi, produced over 70 projects in just over a year, including Grammy and Handy award-winners and nominees Elvis Costello, Big George Brock, and Duwayne Burnside.

The facility brings together top-tier Mississippi and Memphis producers, engineers, writers and session men and women in a dynamic, energetic environment. The result is a recording studio that enables artists to create fully-realized recordings that are affordable and high-quality.

“It’s a one-stop studio for clients,” Mathus says, noting that the facility can supply musicians from genres as varied as “south Memphis rappers to North Mississippi fife and drums to old-school rhythm sections.”

Mathus says that the Delta staff specializes in roots music of all kinds and bring insight and skill to projects.

“When clients walk through the door and need it, we’ve got it,” he said. “And they have a ball working with the staff here, too!”

Established in conjunction with Olga Wilhelmine and 219 Records, Delta Recording Service also offers a full spectrum of services for do-it-yourself artists, including CD art, manufacturing and national distribution via 219 Records.

Unique Mississippi hills country blues archive graces lobby

The facility houses a new exhibition, sponsored by the JMH Foundation, in the lobby area that features an archive of photographs, recordings and memorabilia honoring traditional musician families from Northern Mississippi: Hemphills, McDowells, Burnside, Kimbroughs, Stricklands, Pratchers, Youngs and Turners.

CDs by local artists are on sale, with proceeds going to the JMH Foundation for the preservation and archiving of the music of North Mississippi. For more information on the JMH Foundation, visit www.jmhemphill.org.

About Delta Recording Service

Delta Recording Service provides a full range of talent and services to musicians seeking to produce cost-effective, high-quality recordings. Located in downtown Como, Mississippi, Delta Recording Service brings a unique, Southern sensibility and creativity to every client’s project. Visit Delta Recording Service on the Web at www.deltarecordingservice.com.

Sunday, December 17, 2006

The Coffee Club

As I sit on my bed, slightly hungover (I emphasize slightly because I would never drink too much on a Saturday night, sheesh!) on a Sunday afternoon just poodleing around on my laptop, I had some sudden flashes of a time long ago. LONG ago it seems, all the way back to 1994ish. I was thinking about a job I has, as assistant manager for a coffee house called "Coffee Club". There was actually 5 stores in SF bay area, and this was before Starbucks hit big.

My boss was a man named Jim Chelossi, from San Carlos, CA (which is where I lived and worked at the time). We would have lines out the door for hours with people waiting to get their java fix. I would litterally be headfirst in the espresso machine slinging lattes and whatnot from 6am until noon before there was any real break in customer flow. Naturally, the drinks would be hot and customers would ask to "double cup" their beverage as to not burn their hands. This mean of course, that we would go through twice as many cups as was needed and Jim Chelossi was not too happy about the added expense. So he came up with an idea. He created a "sleeve" for the cups, that was just like having a second cup wrapped around the first, but only a portion of one. This would cut down on waste, storage, and expense of using extra cups. He invented and patened (in 1995) the sleeves used in every Starbucks shop and otherwise out there known to man, who imbibes in hot beverages. So, even though Starbucks basically ran him out of the coffee business by taking all the customers away, I'm sure he is having a laugh on a yacht somehwere in St. Tropez.

Next time you're at Starbucks and they hand you your latte, you'll know that my former boss is the guy who invented that sleeve around your cup!